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Classical crossover singer Rebecca Nelson told a captivated Cambridge audience how the town holds a special place in her heart for several reasons.
Rebecca’s performance was one of three shows lined up to entertain residents and soon-to-be residents of Ryman Healthcare’s Patrick Hogan … View moreClassical crossover singer Rebecca Nelson told a captivated Cambridge audience how the town holds a special place in her heart for several reasons.
Rebecca’s performance was one of three shows lined up to entertain residents and soon-to-be residents of Ryman Healthcare’s Patrick Hogan Village in Cambridge, Hilda Ross Village down the road in Hamilton and James Wattie Village in Havelock North.
Describing her connection to Ryman, she says: “It feels like coming home and performing for friends and family.”
Click read for the full story.
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Plus, don't forget to compare broadband options on Broadband Compare for the… View moreThis Valentine’s Day, why not snuggle up with your loved one for a movie night in?
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By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Ratepayers are being kept in the dark over whether the West Coast Regional Council will ping them with a large rates increase this year.
The council is expected to release its consultation document for its 2024-34 long-term plan (LTP) in March, … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Ratepayers are being kept in the dark over whether the West Coast Regional Council will ping them with a large rates increase this year.
The council is expected to release its consultation document for its 2024-34 long-term plan (LTP) in March, which will outline the rates plan for 2024-25.
However, it won't say what increase it's looking at.
The council has been meeting behind closed doors since March 2023 in a series of eight workshops for the LTP.
The Ombudsman last year called for councils to open workshops by default after an investigation found the public was being shut out of some meetings without valid reason.
The council's finalised plan will include projected annual rates for the life of the plan.
In 2023, the council passed a 16.4% rates increase, although a Civil Defence levy doubled for all ratepayers at the time. Ratepayers living in special rating districts, like the Greymouth Floodwall area, were also hit with large increases above ordinary rates.
At the time, Risk and Assurance Committee chairperson Frank Dooley, an accountant, was the sole voice of dissent.
He said the rates hike needed to be much higher after years of relatively low increases and a deficit in council resources.
But Dooley declined this week to say what the projected rates increase might be in 2024-25.
He said the council was due to have another LTP workshop late this month, following which the public consultation document release in March would be settled.
This was pending the outcome of a compulsory audit of the LTP document.
Dooley said council had filed its draft LTP for audit by January 8.
"Council met that deadline. We're waiting on the audit process to go through."
Dooley said there may be a delay in the LTP draft going out for consultation depending on the need for any amendments. If that were the case, then the draft would need to go back to the auditor - although no amendments were foreseen at this stage.
Police are investigating the “senseless” and “sickening” vandalism of a restored backcountry hut on the West Coast, which was smashed up and daubed with swastikas.
Kirwans Hut, near Reefton, is only accessible via a 20km journey along an advanced level tramping track and had been … View morePolice are investigating the “senseless” and “sickening” vandalism of a restored backcountry hut on the West Coast, which was smashed up and daubed with swastikas.
Kirwans Hut, near Reefton, is only accessible via a 20km journey along an advanced level tramping track and had been restored last year by volunteers.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) reported the vandalism to police after being alerted to it by a hut visitor in January.
Paint that had been stored on site was used to paint swastikas on the roof, external walls, water tank and toilet. The toilet was also broken, guttering smashed, the boardwalk broken and a “general mess” was made inside.
DOC Western South Island operations director Mark Davies said the damage was senseless, sickening and extremely disappointing for DOC, the Backcountry Trust, which upgraded the hut, and trampers using the facility.
“The Backcountry Trust reroofed Kirwans last year as one of their Jobs for Nature projects. Four people did the work over four days with around 200 hours of labour in total. I know the team was particularly proud of how well the hut came up through their efforts,” Davies said.
“Kirwans is a popular hut and used a lot over summer. Our DOC team put in a great deal of effort in the lead-up to Christmas to ensure it was accessible.”
Not only will repairing the damage be costly, but it will take rangers away from other essential work as they clear it up, he added.
Kirwans Hut sits on a 40km advanced tramping loop in Victoria Forest Park, which takes an estimated two to three days to complete.
The DOC website states: “The walk up to Kirwans Hut is one of New Zealand's classic overnight tramps... There are some incredible historic relics to be seen in this area including the Kirwans Reward mine, an aerial ropeway and the Lord Brassey stamper battery. The well-formed track up to the hut was originally hand crafted by miners.”
Reacting to pictures of the damage posted on social media, one Reefton local commented: “I am freaking furious at this stupidity! ... If you have any info please pass it on this is not OK and should not be tolerated.”
Police asked anyone with any information about the vandalism to call them on 105 or go online to 105.police.govt.nz and cite case file number: 240116/7979.
Kirwans Hut remained open and all facilities were usable.
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By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Delays caused by KiwiRail are "a risk" to quickly advancing a flood protection wall for Hokitika, a council meeting has heard.
The flood resilience work is part of a staged project to protect the Hokitika residential area and the CBD … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Delays caused by KiwiRail are "a risk" to quickly advancing a flood protection wall for Hokitika, a council meeting has heard.
The flood resilience work is part of a staged project to protect the Hokitika residential area and the CBD under way since early 2023.
The first stage of work on the bank of the Hokitika River, behind Westland Milk Products, has already been completed.
The council hopes to have the next stage from the Hokitika River Bridge, along Gibson Quay and the Hokitika Industrial Railway, to Westland Milk Products completed by mid-year.
The project has been deemed "urgent" after the river was just a few millimetres from overtopping the old bank at Westland Milk Products in late 2022. This would have been catastrophic for the region's dairy industry and Hokitika's single biggest employer, as well as residents in the surrounding area.
Council infrastructure programme manager Scott Hoare said they had been liaising with KiwiRail over a level crossing impact assessment for some time.
"There is a risk of further delays to the resource consent for Stage 1b due to delays in receiving feedback from KiwiRail," Hoare told the West Coast Regional Council's Infrastructure Governance Committee on January 29.
Council consultant Davis Ogilvie had responded to the additional queries from KiwiRail, and the level crossing assessment had been provided, "however resolving these issues will likely further delay the start construction".
Hoare said the two level crossings, which give access to the Hokitika Riverbed, were "a low risk category".
"However, KiwiRail are still problematic to deal with in terms of their timely response," he said.
Offers to assist KiwiRail to make less work for them had not advanced.
"It's still becoming quite problematic with them … we're working alongside their corridor, however, in terms of affected party approval, there may be other options," Hoare said.
Infrastructure Governance Committee chairperson Frank Dooley said the delay was "pretty disappointing" and "bureaucracy gone mad".
"KiwiRail is a Crown-owned entity, you'd expect their processes to be better than that," Dooley said.
Councillor Peter Haddock asked if council could still proceed on the basis it already had the consent of all other parties "or do we really need KiwiRail?"
Hoare said the council had the option of changing the consent process to a limited notification.
However, it appeared KiwiRail were still working things through internally, "albeit it's very slow".
Council chief executive Darryl Lew said they could give KiwiRail the rest of this week to respond.
"If they don't we will proceed to limited notification. If they come back with written approval, that's when the limited notification goes away."
Councillor Peter Ewen noted a similar issue with KiwiRail in 2022 when council needed to advance the business case for Westport flood protection: "There was no response".
Councillor Peter Haddock said the crux of the matter was the people of Hokitika "are vulnerable and at risk".
Councillor Andy Campbell noted the new stop bank would benefit them: "We're actually helping them protect their infrastructure for nothing."
In a response, KiwiRail executive general manager property Anna Allen did not directly respond to assertations made at the council table.
However the state rail operator "has worked closely" with the regional council and its consultants on this issue, Allen said.
"Details of the application were received in August last year, and Kiwi Rail requested additional information in September," she said.
KiwiRail then met the consultants for council in October and sought more information afterwards.
"That was provided just after Christmas, and KiwiRail is now reviewing that material. We expect to finish that review shortly."
Allen said KiwiRail wanted to help progress things as quickly as possible but needed "to properly assess" the impact on its rail asset "to ensure it continues to comply with our standards and codes".
* LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council is reviewing its use of Metservice weather forecasts in its hydrology and emergency planning after what has been dubbed two "over-estimated" rain warnings in the region.
South Westland was put on high alert… View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council is reviewing its use of Metservice weather forecasts in its hydrology and emergency planning after what has been dubbed two "over-estimated" rain warnings in the region.
South Westland was put on high alert following a MetService 'red alert' on January 18 to 20, with up to 800mm forecast in the Waiho (Waiau) River catchment at Franz Josef Glacier.
On January 26, it issued another warning of up to 250mm. Local authorities mobilised but neither rain alert eventuated.
West Coast Regional Council chairperson Peter Haddock said this week official forecasts "not matching" reality was a real problem for the region.
The last two forecast events, with consequent warnings, had been "totally wrong" and only succeeded in "scaring the public away".
Haddock called for the regional council and West Coast Civil Defence to use a range of forecasters, "as opposed to MetService".
Westland District Council declared a state of emergency on January 19 based on the red alert warning of up to 800mm falling in 47 hours. It cleared and shut State Highway 6 all the way from Ross to Haast.
The rest of the region north of Hokitika was also subject to an orange alert that weekend, but instead enjoyed balmy weather - after visitors and several events had already cancelled plans.
The January 26 rain warning also came to nothing, but not without sensational headlines, including on RNZ, saying the "already sodden" West Coast was to have another deluge.
Haddock said offers of help poured in from South Island local authorities, and he responded by sending back photos showing the West Coast enjoying sunshine.
A better weather forecast approach to inform the appropriate response from the councils and Civil Defence was needed, he said.
"I believe other government agencies don't [only] use Metservice," Haddock told the council meeting on Monday.
Chief executive Darryl Lew said the Metservice forecasts for the last two events had "overestimated the rain" in South Westland.
"It is due to that, that a lot of regional councils don't just rely on Metservice," Lew said.
He was considering adding Niwa as it had "significantly increased its level of forecasting", noting that DOC now used Niwa in a range of forecasts. That agency also had the benefit of providing corresponding flood modelling.
"I'm leading an internal debrief inside regional council hydrology and Civil Defence. That will endorse Niwa plus Metservice," he said.
Lew, who has a background as a hydrologist, said peak forecasting was "vital" to understand the potential for flooding.
Councillor Andy Campbell, of Harihari, said the 650km-long West Coast had varying weather patterns anyway, in contrast to that represented in forecasts and relayed in the national media.
"A lot of it is localised."
Speaking after the meeting, Haddock said he used a range of weather forecasters himself and discounted predictions by a large percentage of them, finding this was usually more accurate than official forecasts.
What had transpired "was basically a non event" on January 18-19 and again the following weekend.
The Coast deserved better given it is the same distance from Auckland to Wellington - and with businesses and visitors reliant on reputable forecasts.
"It's the reputational damage with people thinking this is an unreliable place," Haddock said.
MetService head of weather communication Lisa Murray said the MetService took its role seriously and strove to give the most accurate and timely forecasts.
This included accessing all leading global weather models to collate a broad view, she said.
For the red and orange alerts on January 18-19 and on January 25-26, MetService worked closely with the regional council, and had a close ongoing relationship.
However, all weather models had "strengths and limitations" - one limitation being the "complex topography" of New Zealand.
"MetService high resolution models make improvements over this limitation, however, as is with the nature of forecasting it is not a perfect science."
MetService had liaised closely with West Coast local authorities, including the regional council's hydrology team, before issuing the red alert, after gleaning local insight on the impact the forecast rain amount "could have".
"As there was good consensus in the weather models, it was agreed that this could result in a significant event.
"Rainfall amounts, over the 47 hours covered by the red warning for Westland, were very similar to the March 2019 West Coast event, which had large impacts on the region including the collapse of the Waiho River bridge, and damage to sections of State Highway 6."
The increased risk to an influx of summer tourists into the district was a prime consideration, Murray said.
GRAPHIC: West Coast Regional Council.
A geographical comparison of the 650km long West Coast region often used by the West Coast Regional Council in official submissions to highlight the challenges in servicing the sparsely populated region (about 32,000).
PICTURE: MetService
Image is the MetService radar rainfall accumulation for the hours the red warning was issued for South Westland. This shows where the radar detected rainfall across the region during the warning period.
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By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A jump in rural doctor trainee numbers on the West Coast is expected to create one of the "largest cohorts of training doctors" in the region this year.
At the same time, the number of rural generalist positions appointed in the region … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A jump in rural doctor trainee numbers on the West Coast is expected to create one of the "largest cohorts of training doctors" in the region this year.
At the same time, the number of rural generalist positions appointed in the region have doubled over the past three years, says Health NZ Te Whatu Ora.
The rural generalist model was launched in 2019 to solve chronic shortages of doctors on the Coast.
Health NZ associate director of operations for the West Coast Philip Wheble said the rural generalist model "is paying dividends" across the region.
"We are investing in the future with the training of our junior medical workforce in rural hospitals and (in 2024) we will have one of the largest cohorts of training doctors we have ever had on the Coast."
There were 14.43 (full-time equivalent) rural generalists, filled by 19 individuals, in November 2023. This was up from 7.15 FTE positions, filled by nine individuals, in June 2020.
In addition, Health NZ had engaged an additional three full-time equivalent GPs (four individuals) and 7.3 full-time equivalent rural generalists (10 individuals) over the past three years, Wheble said.
The total number of full time equivalent Health NZ GPs in the region in June 2020 was 5.71 FTE, filled by seven individuals.
"This increased to a total of 8.63 FTE filled by 11 individuals in November 2023," he said.
"We have also seen an increase in nurse practitioners where we had three FTE filled by three individuals and this has now increased to 4.25 FTE filled by 6 individuals."
There continued to be a few West Coast positions to fill by Health NZ including a couple of GP, rural generalist and psychiatrist roles.
The rural generalist team covers primary care, urgent care, emergency medicine, general medicine, paediatrics, orthopaedics, and obstetrics/gynaecology.
He said bringing in more staff has helped Health NZ West Coast to support primary care as well as creating "more robust" emergency, obstetrics and medicine teams.
The Coast also had in-house specialists - psychiatry, anaesthetics, general surgery plus obstetrics and gynaecology.
Those services were bolstered via Health NZ Canterbury to support local care and tertiary transfers to Christchurch Hospital where needed. In addition, nurse practitioners in primary care had been increased.
"This significant improvement in the permanent staffing within primary care is something that has not occurred for some time on Coast. It also means that our spend on locums has decreased considerably in the last three years," Wheble said.
At the same time, primary care staff numbers in the region should continue to increase, given a greater focus on rural in the national health workforce plan and a commitment on the West Coast to develop its rural generalist workforce, he said.
"In the short term, we will continue managing our staffing challenges, which includes the use of locum doctors and telehealth."
* LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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